US Refugee Plan Puts Afrikaners at Centre of Narrowed Admissions Policy
The Trump administration is preparing to reshape the United States refugee programme by setting an annual admissions ceiling of 17,500 people, with the majority expected to come from South Africa’s white Afrikaner minority.
The proposed limit, outlined in a notice sent to Congress, marks a major change from the broader refugee admissions approach of previous administrations. Nearly all of the fewer than 3,000 refugees admitted by the United States during the current fiscal year through August were South Africans, according to State Department figures.
The policy follows Trump’s decision to suspend most US refugee admissions after returning to office in January 2025. His administration later created an exception for Afrikaners, arguing that members of the group face racial persecution in South Africa. The South African government has rejected that claim.
The proposed 17,500 ceiling would be far below the 125,000 refugee admissions target set by the Biden administration for the 2024 fiscal year. The Congressional Research Service has described the current US refugee programme as being in an unprecedented position after the suspension of admissions, with the 17,500 ceiling for 2026 representing the lowest level in the programme’s history.
The proposed policy also changes the question of who receives priority under the programme. Refugees fleeing conflicts and persecution in regions such as Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere would be seeking admission within a much smaller programme, while Afrikaners have been given a specific pathway under the administration’s policy.
The administration estimates that resettling refugees under the proposed ceiling would cost about $500 million. It has also said Afrikaners admitted under the programme are expected to become self-sufficient and place limited demands on public resources, according to the congressional notice.
The policy is likely to keep the focus on how the United States defines its refugee priorities at a time when global displacement remains high. It also represents a significant departure from the broader admissions model used before the Trump administration, raising questions about how limited refugee places will be allocated among people seeking protection from persecution and conflict around the world.
